Live a little, live allotment

“There are no self-sufficient agriculturalists. The base unit for success is probably about 50 people. The first thing to cultivate is friends.”
- Marna Nightingale

We’ve never been more connected, yet we’ve never been so alone. Or something like that.

As much as the above is an overstated “insight”, there is some truth to it. An increasing number of people report feeling lonely or isolated. The pandemic, and the cost of living crisis have impacted most of our lives. And for people living with disabilities, older people or people who lack digital access, levels of loneliness and isolation are even higher.

Why should we be concerned with tackling loneliness, though? Because, loneliness is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including poorer physical and mental health, greater use of health care services, and even early mortality. Not good.

New research from the University of Glasgow shows that people living in rural communities feel less lonely than their urban neighbours. Why though? Emily Long, a Research Fellow at Glasgow University has a theory: “We believe this could be due to the smaller population of rural areas, limiting the social pool and encouraging rural adults to seek social relationships with people in different life stages than themselves.”

Gardening is an activity that people of all ages, backgrounds, socio-economic status, or ability can get involved in. Community gardens and allotments could and should be hubs of our communities - not niche spaces that only a select few have the privilege to access.

The benefits of gardening

Better mental and physical health

The British Psychological Society has lots of things to say about the mental and physical benefits of gardening.

“Planting, weeding, digging, raking, and mowing are considered physically intense and avid gardeners can easily exert the same amount of energy as running or going to the gym. Gardening provides a more creative and enjoyable way to undertake physical exercise and meet the national exercise recommendations, which in return contribute to improving psychological health.”

“Engagement in gardening has shown to have both immediate and long-term effects on mental health outcomes. Just gardening for several hours provides instantaneous reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, while gardening daily is associated with reduced stress and increased life satisfaction.”

Who doesn’t want to be healthier and happier?

Fresh, seasonal, and local food

A well maintained and managed allotment can provide a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables year-round. This is good news, as it could help to reduce the mount of money spent on food shopping. Any excess produce could be traded with your neighbours or go to a local food charity to distribute to people in need.

Many of us are concerned about the use of chemicals and pesticides in food production. But if you’re growing your own fruit and veg, you can choose to garden organically and avoid the chemicals that are often found on shop bought produce.

So by growing your own food you could be happier, healthier, and even a bit better off.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of gardening, the National Allotment Society’s website is a great resource.

As Marna Nightingale said, we need to work together. Let’s not live a little, let’s live allotment.*

*Yo, National Lottery, if you see this please don’t sue.